Tuesday was the first day of school for most students at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs School District 11, and they spent a small part of it showcasing their spirit and gratitude in a big way.

About 1,270 students wearing red T-shirts spelled out their school’s name on the football field at the end of the school day to show thanks to first responders during the Waldo Canyon fire.

“We don’t want the Waldo Canyon fire to define Coronado High School,” said Darin Smith, assistant principal.

Although the thank-you rally had been in the works for two weeks, students learned about it during the school day.

“It’s cool how everyone is coming together,” said Coronado junior Mikaela Martinez, 16.She lives in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood and has friends who lost their homes.“This shows how much people care,” she said.

There are 31 students and families at Coronado High School who lost their homes in the fire, Coronado High School Principal David Engstrom said. He met with many of them before school started to learn about specific needs. Freshman started classes Monday, with the rest of the students starting Tuesday.

Engstrom said when school and district officials were coming up with a way to show community support, he didn’t just want to hold another assembly.

The rally was Coronado’s big response, he said, and now the more difficult one-on-one work begins with affected students and families. It was also an effort to reclaim the football field and track, which was the backdrop for media briefings in the early days of the Waldo Canyon fire.

The blaze was first reported at noon on June 23. On June 26, the blaze tripled in size and burned into Colorado Springs, consuming 346 homes and killing two people.

That night, a helicopter landed on the Coronado field with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper on board. The governor held a short news conference with Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach.

The staging areas for media and firefighters and other crews moved after the firestorm to locations farther away from the firelines.

“It’s a great way to acknowledge the tragedy,” said Mel Johnson, Coronado social studies teacher. “There can be beauty from ashes.”

Tuesday was Bach’s first return visit to Coronado since the fire.

“This is really something special,” Bach said. “To see this in the aftermath of that is so uplifting. We need to sustain the community spirit that came together during the fire.”

Coronado invited representatives from the city of Colorado Springs, Care and Share, the Red Cross, Colorado Springs Utilities and Colorado Springs police and fire departments to attend.

The loudest cheers from students and staff were for first responders. Some firefighters from nearby Station No. 9 were on hand for the rally, although the public thanks came as a surprise. A firefighter at the very top of the ladder from Truck 9 took photos and video of the rally.

The crew was asked to help out at the rally, and firefighters weren’t told they would be honored for their contributions, said Lt. Matt Clark, with the Colorado Springs Fire Department. The gesture is appreciated, he said.

“The community has been awesome,” Clark said. “They always are.”

As students and staff streamed off the field, many clustered around the firefighters from Station No. 9 to shake their hands and thank them personally.

—Contact Kristina Iodice: 636-0162 Twitter @GazetteKristina Facebook Kristina Iodice